Machine for forming worms and the like



Feb. 21, 1939. J, R ms 2,147,919

MACHINE FOR FORMING WORMS AND THE LIKE F il ed Aug. 5, 19s? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 21, 1939. J. PERKINS MACHINE FOR FORMING WORMS AND THE LIKE.

Filed Aug. 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 left for the grinding all to the end that worms h h a r g b n I6 carried y a s Patented Feb. 21, 1939 v 2 1 -UNITED STATES PATENT OF-Fl-CE Julian L. Perkins, West Springfield, Mass. Application August 5, 1937, Serial No. 157581 16 Claims. (Cl; 909-20) This invention relates to improvements in mal Fig. 3 is a partial side elevationalview on the chine tools and is directed more particularly to line 33 of Fig. 1; machines wherein a piece of work is rotated so Fig. 4 is a more or less diagrammatic plan View as to be operated on by a tool. to explain-the means for peripherally supporting The principal objects of the invention are di the work; and 5 rooted to the provision of a machine tool which Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevationalview is characterized bymeans for peripherally supon line 5-5 of Fig. 1. porting work which is operated upon by a tool in Referring now to the drawings in detail the combination with means for feeding the work and invention will be fully described. tool relative to one another. The machine in Fig. lhasa lower base part 2 m In the forming of worms or screws having single and an upper bed part 4 having a'vertical guideor multiple threads, it is customary to rotate the way 6 extending'upwardly therefrom at the rear work on centers or an arbor, the cutter acting side thereof on which there is slidable in the dion the periphery. Under the best conditions the rectionof'arrow a'a vertical slide 8. A cross slide pressure of the tool springs the arbor or the work E0 is slidable back and forth in the direction of making it necessary to leave considerable stock the'arrow b onthe vertical slide 8. i on the work forvgrinding and finishing operations. The vertical slide moves up and down so as to When a relativelyheavy cut is beingtaken, the b ng the means for peripherally en a in h work is sprung olf center morethan when a rela- W k oa d Out Of engagement W h the Wor tively slighter cut is taken so that in order to and the'cross slide moves back and forth en g n reduce the springing and the necessary grinding the work to 'move the work 01 blank relative to resulting therefrom the out is reduced. As a con- 2% 1 001- sequence the-cut is not as-great as could be but The sl de "3 (See F g. 5) has a boss l2 in which in any event there must be considerable stock s fix the of a rod The Said Passes and screws are more expensive than when formed 9 the e 4 and through a Stufiing bOX %5- by means of the machine ofthis invention. oe e ed t Cylmder head 22 at the pp According to the inventionof the present ape d o a c l there belrlg wer head plication, the work is peripherally supported for 5 at the lower end oi the cylinder. A piston rotation, in such a way that springing is entirely is on the rod It is reclprocable 1n the cyllnder. eliminated. Therefore, it is possibleto takeacut films fir dconikilecttiions 3E! ands:L assol llaigd gr g which is decidedly greater than it has been pose CY 1 1 er ea s are provi e or 1.11 w 10 sible heretofore. By reason of the fact the g d 6 the ll I l l gs gh lie /(feggle Vertical slid; springing has been eliminated, very little stock up an own. a engaging 0 is left for the grinding and finishing operations. 2: 5 32 23;- g g jgy i fie xiifi gl sfig g 0f 35 W0 ms, crews, and the like ma be roduced in V much less time and at much less cost than forl 4o earned by the cross 5.1km h -merly, it being possible to speed up the cutting 22 5 gg zii iii is gg g g gf z gg and grinding operations. j i

. the head 44 has an upper head48 provided with mvempn Its presgnt prferred form an inverted Well 59. A spring 52 in the said well W11] be described in connection with the maacts on a piston 54 having a rod 56 which passes chine for cutting or forming worms, screws and through a Stumng box 58 associated with the other objects having spirally arranged threads, lower head ML grooves or ridges but it will be appreciated that A crossmead EU is carriedby the rod 56 and various changes and modifications may be made links 52 are pivoted at (it to the cross-head. Arms to adapt the machine for Vanous purposes Wlth E i are pivoted at 66 to the cross slide Ill and out departing from the Spirit Scope of the their upper ends are slotted toreceive the ends inve of the links 62 which are pivoted thereto at 10.

In the drawings- A pilot F2 on the cross'head is reciprocable in Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a machine bearing 14 as ci ted with th members 40,

embodying the n v l f t r s of h invention; 'The vertical slide a has side webs ll between Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the upper which is a cross member l3 and the slide I8 is ;;.part of the machine shown in Fig. 1 to explain slidable on parts 74 and i6 associated with this .certain features of the invention; cross member I 3. Roll carriers indicated gener- 2 ally by 80 are guided for reciprocation towards and away from one another by guides 82 associated with a cross slide I0.

These carriers have pilots such as 84 and screws such as 85 in lower extensions of arms 64 are adapted to bear on said pilots. When piston 54 is moved downwardly in the cylinder 42 by means of the spring 52 the upper ends of the arms 64' are moved outwardly by links 62 and the lower ends of arms are moved inwardly so that the screws act on the pilots to move the member 80 inwardly toward one another against springs 80 disposed between abutments on the members 80 and slide I0, as shown clearly in Fig. 5. When the cross head 60 moves upwardly the springs act to separate the members 80 or move them outwardly. Work engaging rolls 92 are mounted for rotation in the members 80 as are rolls 94. The said rolls 92 are arranged when the members 80 are moved inwardly to peripherally engage a piece of work such as for instance a worm blank indicated by W. A shoe is carried by the slide I0 above the work and is indicated by 96. I This shoe serves as an abutment for the work W which is peripherally engaged and rotated by the rolls 92. The rolls 94 serve to back up the rolls 92 and exert pressure thereagainst when the members 80 are moved inwardly by the arms 64 whereby the work is peripherally engaged at its opposite sides under considerable pressure to hold it against shifting while it is rotated by the rolls 92 for the action of a tool. Gears I00 associated with the rolls 92 are in mesh with a gear I02 fixed on a shaft I04, rotatable in a bearing I06.

The shaft I04 may be rotated in various ways but as an illustration the said shaft and a worm gear I08 in a case IIO are relatively slidable. Gear I08 is in mesh with a worm II2 on a vertical shaft H4. The upper end of the shaft H4 is rotatable in a box H6 and it carries a worm H8 in mesh with a worm I20. The boxes H0 and I I6 are supported by a bracket I22 associated with the vertical slide 8. The upper worm I20 is rotated to rotate worm gear I08 and the shaft I04 may slide back and forth in the worm gear I08 as the carriage I0 moves back and forth on the vertical carriage.

The work W is supported on the end of a mandrel I20 on which is a master worm I22 which corresponds to the worm it is desired to form from the work or blank W. A bracket I24 is slidable up and down on a plate I26 secured to the guide 6 and it carries a lower half I28 of a nut, the upper half I30 of which is carried by a bracket I3I fixed to the vertical slide 8.

The half nuts are provided with a thread to fit that of the master I22. A support I34 is provided on bracket I24 to support mandrel I20 with the master I22 resting in the lower half nut I28 and its end against a stop I36 on bracket I24. The work is thus located in a proper position with the vertical slide 8 in its upper position and when the vertical silde is lowered so that the rolls 92 are disposed at either side of the work while the master is embraced by the half nuts.

As the vertical slide comes to rest in its lower position with rolls 92 at opposite sides of the work the members 80 are moved inwardly so that the said work is peripherally engaged thereby for rotation.

As the work is rotated, the master feeds forwardly in the half nuts so as to feed the work forwardly. To insure that the work is fed forwardly while it is being peripherally supported and rotated there is a collar I40 on the mandrel I20 which acts on a roll I42 of the carriage I0. Therefore, as the master screws itself forwardly and moves the member I20 and work forwardly the collar I40 acts on the roll I42 to move the cross slide. Thus the work is positively fed forwardly while it is being peripherally supported and rotated.

When the vertical slide moves upwardly the cross slide is moved to the left to a starting position. This is accomplished by a roller I48 on a lever I50 which is fixed to a shaft I52 rotatable in the vertical slide 8.

As the vertical slide moves upwardly the roll I48 brings up against a cam I54 associated with guide 6 whereby the lever I50 is swung clockwise. A lever I54 is connected by a link I56 to the cross slide I0 whereby it is moved to the left.

A bearing bracket I60 carries a shaft I62 which is provided with a forward plate I64 to which may be clamped or secured a tool such as a cutter C, shown in Fig. 5. A stud I66 of a flange I61 of the bracket I60 is rotatable in a bearing I68 of the bed 4 and a foot I10 of the bracket rests on a pad I12 of the said bed.

The bed is provided with T slots such as I14 so that the bearing may be swung and secured to the base in various positions of adjustment by means of bolts I69 so as to locate the tool at some desired angle with reference to the axis of the work or blank as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 4.

The shaft I 62 may be driven in various ways but in the form of the invention shown it carries a worm wheel I18. A worm I80 in mesh there with is rotatable in a casing I82, and a shaft I83 therefor may be rotated in any desired manner.

A rod I84 is secured to the bracket I24 and is slidable in a socket I86 associated with the base 4. A spring I88 in the socket exerts upward pressure against the member I24. When the master I22 and its shaft have been placed so that the master is in the lower half nut and the vertical slide lowers so that the upper half nut bears on the lower half nut the bracket I 24 yields or is depressed against the action of the spring. Depending on the diameter of the work the lowermost position of the vertical slide is variable but the bracket I24 yields so that at all times the half nuts properly embrace the master.

In operation the vertical slide is elevated and the master and the mandrel carrying the work are located so that the master is in the lower half nut with the blank in such a position that it may be engaged by the rolls 92. In the elevated position of the vertical slide the cross-slide is in its position to the left.

With the master, mandrel and blank positioned in the extreme left position the vertical slide is lowered, the upper half nut bears on the lower half nut so that the master is embraced thereby and the rolls 92 disposed at opposite sides of the blank are moved inwardly so as to peripherally engage the same and force it against member 96.

The shaft I04 is rotated so as to rotate rolls 92 which cause the blank to be rotated. As the .blank is rotated the master is rotated thereby through the mandrel so that the master screws itself through the half nuts advancing the work relative to the tool.

When the work or blank has been advanced the desired distance, the piston 54 is operated to cause the blank to be released by rolls 92, the vertical slide elevates, during which the cross-slide is returned to its left hand position and the mandrel carrying themaster and formed work may be removed to permit the locatingof another unit on the support.

By peripherally engaging and rotating the'work .in such a way as to eliminate thepossibility of springing ofthe Work or blank it is possible to ing in combination, a support, an abutment member thereon for the upper side of the periphery of cylindrical pieceof work, carrier members movable towards and away from one another,

rolls in the members disposed for rotation on .axes below the plane of said abutment adapted to engage the periphery of a cylindrical piece of work at the sides thereof below a horizontal plane passing through the axis of the work and adapted to rotatesaid work and cooperating with the abutment to maintain the work on a certain axis of rotation, and a tool below the abutment for acting on the periphery of a piece of work at a point opposite to that engaged by said abutment.

2. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, an abutment member thereon for the upper side of the periphery of cylindrical piece of work, carrier members movable towards and away from one another, rolls in the members arranged for rotation on axes below theplane of said abutment disposed to engage theperiphery of a cylindrical piece of work at the sides thereof below a horizontal plane passing through the axis of the work andadapted to rotate said work and cooperating with the abutment to maintain the work on a certain axis of rotation, and a tool below the abutment for moving said members towards and away from one another.

3. A machine of the class described compris- King in combination, a support, an abutment member thereon for the upper side of the periphery of cylindrical piece of work, carrier members movable towards and away from one another, rolls in the members disposed for rotation on axes below the plane of said abutment adapted to engage the periphery of a cylindrical piece of work at the sides thereof below the portion bearing against said abutment and arranged to rotate said work and cooperating with the abutment to maintain the work on a certain axis of rotation, and means for moving the rolls and work axially whereby the tool traverses the work.

4. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, an abutment member thereon for the upper side of the periphery of cylindrical piece of work, carrier members movable towards and away from one another, rolls in the members disposed for rotation on axes below the plane of said abutment adapted to engage the periphery of a cylindrical piece of work at the sides thereof below the portion bearing against said abutment and arranged to rotate said work and cooperating with the abutment to maintain the work on a certain axis of rotation, and means for moving the rolls and work axially whereby the tool traverses the work, the said means including a member associated with the work carrying a screw in engagement with a nut.

5. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, a slide movable up and down thereon, a pair of carriers movable transversely thereon, work engaging members carried by adjacent sides of the carriers and a Work engaging member carried by the support above and between the first-named members, the said members arranged and adapted to engage the top and adjacent sides of the periphery of a cylindrical piece of work to support the same, a tool on said support for acting on the periphery of a piece of work opposite to the top engaged by the second-named engaging member, means to move the carriers, and means to move the slide on the support.

6. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, a slide movable up and down thereon, a pair of carriers movable transversely thereon, work engaging members carried by adjacent sides of the carriers and a 'work engaging member carried by the support above and between the first-named members, the said members arranged and adapted to engage the top and adjacent sides of the periphery of a cylindrical piece of work to support the same, a tool on said support for acting on the periphery of a piece of work opposite to the top engaged by the second-named engaging member, means to move the carriers, means to move the slide on the support, and means for moving work axially relative to said tool including a. member for securing to the work a screw thereon and a nut on the support with which said screw is engaged.

7. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, .a slide movable up and down thereon, carriers movable towards and away from one another on said slide, work engaging members on adjacent sides of said carriers and on the support above and between those on the carriers, certain of said members being rotatable whereby the periphery of a cylindrical piece of work may be engaged on the upper and adjacent sides and the work rotated, a rotatable tool on the support opposite the working engaging member at the upper side of the work, means to rotate said rolls, means to operate said carriers, means to operate said slide, and means to feed said work axially relative to said work engaging members and tool.

8. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, a slide movable up and down thereon, carriers movable towards and away from one another on said slide, work engaging members on adjacent sides of said carriers and on the support above and between those on the carriers, certain of said members being rotatable whereby the periphery of a cylindrical piece of work may be engaged on the upper and adjacent sides and the work rotated, a rotatable tool on the support opposite the working engaging member at the upper side of the work, means to rotate said rolls, means to operate said carriers, means to operate said slide, and means to feed said work axially relative to said work engaging members and tool, the said means including a screw for securing to a piece of work and a nut on said support operable as the work is rotated to feed the same.

9. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, a slide movable up and down thereon, carriers slidable transversely thereon, means to move said carriers including yieldable means urging the same in one direc- 4- tion and links for moving the same in an opposite direction, rolls in adjacent ends of said carriers, an abutment on the slide between and above the said rolls, the said rolls and abutment adapted to engage the upper and adjacent sides of the periphery of a cylindrical piece of work to support and rotate the same on a certain axis leaving the lower portion of the periphery free for the action of a tool, means to rotate said rolls, and means to feed a piece of work axially including a member for securing to a piece of work, a screw thereon, and a nut receiving the same which is carried by said support.

10. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, an abutment against which the upper side of a rotating cylindrical piece of Work may abut, driving rolls for engaging opposite sides of said work at points below a horizontal plane passing through the axis of said work whereby said work is rotatably driven by said rolls and supported with its upper side against said abutment, means to rotate said rolls, and a tool for acting on said work on its lower side and opposite to the side thereof contacting with said abutment.

11. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, an abutment member thereon for the upper side of the periphery of cylindrical piece of work, carrier members movable towards and away from one another, work rolls in the members disposed for rotation on axes below the plane of said abutment adapted to engage the periphery of a cylindrical piece of work at the sides thereof below the portion bearing against said abutment and arranged to rotate said work and cooperating with the abutment to maintain the work on a certain axis of rotation, other rolls in the members acting on the work rolls at the outer sides thereof, and means for moving the rolls and work axially whereby the tool traverses the work.

12. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, an abutment member thereon for the upper side of the periphery of cylindrical piece of work, carrier members movable towards and. away from one another, work rolls in the members disposed for rotation on axes below the plane of said abutment adapted to engage the periphery of a cylindrical piece of work at the sides thereof below the portion bearing against said abutment and arranged to rotate said work and cooperating with the abutment to maintain the work on a certain axis of rotation, other rolls in the members outside the work rolls engaging the same, and means for moving the rolls and work axially whereby the tool traverses the work, the said means including a member associated with the work carrying a screw in engagement with a nut.

13. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, an abutment member thereon for the upper side of the periphery of cylindrical piece of work, carrier members movable towards and away from one another, rolls in the members disposed for rotation on axes below the plane of said abutment adapted to engage the periphery of a cylindrical piece of work at the sides thereof below the portion bearing against said abutment and arranged to rotate said work and cooperating with the abutment to maintain the work on a certain axis of rotation, means for moving the carrier members towards and away from one another, and means for moving the rolls and work axially whereby the tool traverses the work.

14. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, a slide movable up and down on the support between operative and inoperative positions, means on said slide to releasably and rotatably support and drive acylindrical piece of work, a rotatable tool for acting on a rotating piece of work when the slide is in operative position, a screw member for connecting to a piece of work, and cooperating screw engaging means associated with the slide and support operable to engage said screw when the slide is in operable position.

15. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, a slide thereon movable vertically between operative and inoperative positions, a horizontal slide movable on the vertical slide, means on the horizontal slide to rotate and support a piece of work, a tool for acting on a piece of work when the vertical slide is in operative position, a member for connecting to a piece of work and rotated thereby, a screw associated with said member, cooperating means associated with the vertical slide and support operable to engage said screw when the vertical slide is in operative position to move said member axially, and means associated with the horizontal slide and member whereby the former is moved by the latter.

16. A machine of the class described comprising in combination, a support, carriers movable therein towards and away from one another, an abutment for the upper side of a piece of work on said support, rolls on adjacent inner sides of said carriers for engaging opposite sides of a piece of work, means to move said carriers in one direction, and means for moving said carriers in an opposite direction including, members pivoted to said support having end portions arranged to act on said carriers and other end portions connected to an actuating member movable back and forth on said support.

JULIAN L. PERKINS. 

